Method for manufacturing pen points



June 21, 1938. -1.. s. HENWOOD um'nonron MANUFACTURING PEN POINTS Filed Feb 4, 19:55

Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Lloyd S. Henwood, Merchantville, N. J., assignor to 0. Howard Hunt Pen Company, Camden, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 4, 1935, Serial No. 4,813 3 Claims. (oi. 113-32) This invention relates to the method of manufacturing pen points.

Among the more important objects of the invention are the provision of -an improved pen point or nib; the provision of a pen point which is highly effective in feeding ink to the writing tip; and 'a material simplification of the process of manufacturing pen points of the type here involved, as will be more fully brought out hereinafter.

How the foregoing, together with other objects and advantages which will occur to those skilled in the art, are obtained, will appear to better advantage after a consideration of the following description making reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a pen point blank at one stage during its production;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating a blank at a succeeding stage;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a pen completed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the section line 4-6 of Figure 1;

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views taken as indicated by the lines ,5-5 and 6 6 of Figure 2; these views also showing, in section, certain die members employed in making the pens; and

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

As the material from which my improved pens are made. I prefer to employ sheet metal stock,

' preferably formed of a chromium-nickel steel alloy such as the so-called stainless steel. Pen

blanks of the general shape appearing in Figures l and 2 are stamped from the sheet metal stock, each blankhaving a heel part 8 and a nib part 9. At the writing tip of the nib I prefer also to provide small tabs III which are bent (see Figures 1, 4 and '7) downwardly to lie in approximate parallelism in planes generally perpendicular to the plane of the blank. These tabs form the writing tip. Each pen blank is also preferably, although not necessarily, provided with a pierce hole II.

In accordance with the present invention, the nib part of the pen is formed and configured in a novel manner row to be described. It is first noted, however, that in pens of this type it is desirable that the slit (usually extending from the pierce hole through the writing tip) be in the nature of a slot, i. e., it is desirable that some metal be removed so as to leave the portions of the pen at opposite sides of the slit somewhat spaced from each other, this, for the reason,

better flow of ink is provided in this way. This is especially true of fountain pens in which the ink is fed from a reservoir in the barrel of the pen to the nib portion and from thence through the slit or slot to the writing tip. At the same time it is also of advantage that the extreme writing tips at opposite sides of the slot should be in contact with each other and thus make possible the writing of fine lines.

Heretofore, with a view to accomplishing the above, pens have frequently been subjected to a slotting or sawing operation in accordance with which a very thin abrasive wheel is employed to cutout a small amount of metal and thus produce a slot extending from the writing tip to the pierce hole. This prior type of operation is troublesome and expensive since it requires very careful and accurate handling and also necessitates the use of delicate cutting tools.

The pen of this invention, however, is somewhat different in form. A blank such as shown in Figure 1 is provided with a slit l2, as by a shearing operation, and subsequent to this the slit is opened up to form a slot, shown at l2 in Figure 2, by placing the blank between a pair of tool or die members 13 and I. Die member l3 may conveniently take the form of a flat anvil, and the member I has an elongated working surface extending from the region of the pierce hole ll rearwardly to the heel of the pen. When the die members come together, the metal of the pen blank therebetween is swaged or pressed thinner in'the central region. 15, as shown in Figure 2. This causes the side portions of the pen blank to separate slightly and thus opens up the slit I! of Figure 1 to form the slot l2 of Figure 2. I contemplate that the tool member l4 may be of uniform width throughout its working edge so as to produce a slot of uniform width from the pierce hole to the tip. I In this case the tips of the pen may be brought into contact with each other by pressing them together, for example, during the raising operation which gives the pen its rounded shape.

However, I also contemplate carrying out the operation in such manner that the side portions of the pen at the heel are separated from each the heel end of the pen or, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, by making the tool ll of somewhat tapered shape, with the narrow edge overlying separation of the edge portions of the pen at the heel than in the region of the pierce hole, with the result that .the slot is of tapered shape.

Subsequent to the foregoing, the pen is "raised", i. e., brought to the usual rounded shape as appears in Figure 3. This view also very clearly shows the slot I2, although it will be understood that the showing of the slot may be somewhat exaggerated as to width not only in this view but also in Figure 2. In any event, in accordance with the present invention, a pen of the type in question may very readily and inexpensively be produced, since the sawing" or slotting operations heretofore employed are eliminated. As a result of the formation of a slot (as contrasted with a mere slit) the pen has materially improved writing qualities, especially with regard to the flow of ink downwardly to the tip. At the same time provision is made for bringing the tabs or wings l0l0 (constituting the writing tip of the pen) into'contact with each other and this is desirable in the average pen so as to permit the writing of fine lines.

In addition to the foregoing, my improved pen is of advantage in another respect, i. e., for the reason that the heel part 8 is of reduced thickness. This facilitates insertion of the pen in a fountain pen barrel or pen holder and also aids ward said heel end.

in retaining the pen in such a barrel or holder by a wedgins' effect.

I claim;-

1. In the treatment of a pen blank to form a pen point, the steps of forming a slit in the blank extending from the writing tip thereof inwardly to form nib parts, and thereafter opening the slit to form a slot by thinning and thus laterally spreading the metal adjacent the inner end of the slit.

2. In the treatment of a pen blank to form a pen point, the steps of forming a slit in the blank extending from the writing tip thereof inwardly to form nib parts. and thereafter separating the nib parts formed by the slitting by separating the metal at opposite sides of the slit, the separation being-greater toward the inner end of the slit than toward the outer end thereof to provide a slot of taperedshape.

3. In the treatment of a pen blank to form a pen point, the steps of forming a slit in the blank extending from the writing tip thereof inwardly to form nib parts, and thereafter opening the slit to form a slot by thinning and thus laterally spreading the metal of the blank in a zone extended from a point adjacent the inner end ofthe slit toward the heel end of the blank, the degree of thinning being smaller adjacent the inner end of the slit than at a point spaced therefrom to- LLOYD S. IENWOOD. 

